


Meet Me At The Bridge

by Gildan



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: First Kiss, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Love Confessions, M/M, Requited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-11-02 06:29:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20652914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gildan/pseuds/Gildan
Summary: Richie sees a future in the deadlights that feels too real, until he's pulled back to reality. Then Eddie is standing over him, just like in his vision, only this time, Richie is going to make sure he survives.A fix-it little oneshot about confessions, first kisses, and good friends. M for Language.





	Meet Me At The Bridge

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all hope you like this little oneshot. I enjoyed writing it. Wish I had the stamina to write a long fic but I just don't lol.

Caught in the lights, it suddenly didn’t make any sense. What was he doing here? What was he really doing here? What was all of this for? Did they really think they could do this? Maybe Stan was right. And maybe this was really someone else’s problem. So a handful of people die every 27 years, that seems fair for those who stay in Derry, right? But then he thought of Mike. Mike wouldn’t deserve that. So why should anybody else? Should he get to live just because he was lucky enough to escape?  
  
Richie saw all sorts of things in those lights. Terrible nightmares, horrible memories. But the worst was what happened after. The worst was what he was still thinking about now, sitting by the bridge, his clothing damp and dirty. He didn’t care if anyone saw him, although no one was around. They had just saved the whole town and now it seemed like no one was here. The rest of the Losers had gone back to the hotel to pack up and head home. Even Mike was getting ready to leave.  
  
The pavement of the street was warm, and the breeze felt good on Richie’s skin. Everything felt so real, realer than he had ever experienced anything. As though he had just woken up from a coma. He couldn’t stop staring at the carved E in the bridge. It was hypnotic. As though it were glowing. He wanted to stare at it forever, and ever, and ever, and -  
Then everything was dark again. And he could hear shouting. His body fell to the ground, a crumpled heap, lying on his back. And there was E, standing over him. And Richie couldn’t bear the thought. He was still in the deadlights, and he was smart enough to think that maybe this was what It was doing, putting him on an endless loop. It was replaying exactly, and E was happy to have saved him.  
  
Richie found the adrenaline to get up despite his injuries, and body slam E into the ground. It was enough to convince him he wasn’t in a loop, and he wasn’t in the deadlights.  
  
“What the fuck!” E shouted, but they both watched as It impaled a rock, instead of E.  
  
“Stay behind me.” Richie said, but it came out hoarse and desperate.  
  
The other Losers had regathered, and Richie couldn’t believe what was happening. It had shown him a future, with only a little bit rewritten. It died the same way, being taunted and ridiculed. Why had it shown that part to Richie? He could understand the torment, of life without E, but why show It’s own death?  
  
It had to be simple, It thought Richie would die before he could do anything about it. It thought it could paralyze him with fear. But that fucking clown should know that he’s already well versed with paralyzing fear. And just like before an audience, the show must go on.  
  
Before Richie could even speak, they were already jumping off the cliff into the lake. It was all going by in a blur. E was alive, and was absolutely throwing a fit over being in the water. Richie felt speechless. He just needed to say his name again. But it had all come back to him. The years and years of thinking. All he could do was call him E. He couldn’t say his name.  
He had said it a few times since being back in Derry, and each time felt like the most difficult thing to do in the whole universe. Even harder than defeating Pennywise.  
  
“E-Eddie.” Richie finally said. “Are you okay?”  
  
The others were swimming, enjoying themselves and their newfound freedom.  
  
Eddie, nervous, beautiful, puppy-eyed Eddie, was sitting next to him on a submerged rock.  
  
“Am I okay? Jesus fuck man! Are you okay? You haven’t looked right since the...since you were trapped in those fucking lights.” Eddie stammered, his way-too-fast talking slowing down for a moment.  
  
“I…” And Richie started to blink, tears welling up in his eyes. “I saw you die.”  
  
Eddie was silent for a moment. “Hey, don’t worry about it. That’s what It does in those lights, just like with Bev.”  
  
“No,” Richie said quietly, “I saw only you die. Only you.”  
  
“Well,” Eddie said quickly, “It wasn’t real. Or maybe it was, but it’s not anymore. We did it.”  
  
“I know.” Richie whispered. “But I can’t stop thinking about it.”  
  
“Of course, that’s...horrifying.” Eddie said, and he had never seen Richie so quiet, or so upset.  
  
“You have to understand something,” Richie said through his teeth, sobs trying to escape his throat, “I need you to understand…”  
  
“Okay, okay.” Eddie said, putting a hand on Richie’s back.  
  
“That if you had died,” Richie continued, “It would have been the worst thing in the world.”  
  
Eddie furrowed his brow. “Well, hey, I’m still here so, come on man, it’s all fine now. It’s okay.”  
  
Richie realized he hadn’t looked Eddie in the eyes the whole conversation. He glanced up, and Eddie just seemed confused. And Richie felt that burning shame, the kind that starts deep in your chest and engulfs your whole body. He put his head in his hands, blocking the light, and cried. Why did he still feel so awful, when Eddie was alive next to him?  
“God Richie…” Eddie said, grabbing him and embracing him in a hug. “It’s going to be okay. Fuck I mean, look around, we should be celebrating, right?”  
  
Richie took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. He tried to shake off that feeling, that familiar feeling of burning embarrassment.  
  
_‘You’re stupid. You’re so fucking stupid. This is embarrassing. Get over it.’_ He told himself that so often he thought of it as a personal mantra. His whole life had been about suppressing reality, and even after defeating a fucking cosmic being, he didn’t feel any better about his life.  
  
“I want to show you something.” Richie said, averting Eddie’s gaze again.  
  
“Yeah, sure. Of course.” Eddie said.  
  
Richie felt stupid the whole way there, the trudge out of the lake, the climb back up to civilization, and especially when he had to wave to the rest of the Losers not to follow.  
Richie put his hands in his pockets, they were damp, just like in the deadlights. Eddie followed, peeling off his wet jacket and holding it draped in his arms. They walked in silence the whole way, and Richie could feel Eddie’s gaze on him. He didn’t dare look, but he felt like he could see it. Concerned, probably, with a hint of judgment. Richie was always up to something stupid as fuck. _‘Weren’t you, Rich?’_ He thought to himself.  
  
They made it to the kissing bridge, and Richie felt his feet lock into place at the beginning of the bridge. But Eddie kept walking. Eddie walked to the other end and stopped. Richie felt his stomach drop.  
  
“I’m going to divorce my wife.” Eddie called from the other end of the bridge.  
  
“W-What?” Richie called back. His heart skipped.  
  
“Yeah. It’s overdue. And I kind of realized I fucking hate my life.” Eddie laughed, but he had a grimace on his face.  
  
“Oh.” Richie called, he was too afraid to join him. “Okay. Yeah. Good for you.”  
  
Richie would swear he could hear the blood pounding in his ears.  
  
“I’m kind of tired of New York.”  
  
“Oh, yeah?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eddie shouted. “The winters are brutal.”  
  
What the fuck was this conversation? Richie knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere if he didn’t get the courage to join Eddie.  
  
Richie sighed loudly, as if expelling all his pent up frustrations, and walked over to Eddie.  
  
“Eddie, what are you even talking about man?”  
  
“I mean. Aren’t we talking about this?” Eddie asked, and he pointed to the old, hardly visible R+E.  
  
Richie’s heart was beating out of his chest. “W-what’s that?” He laughed. “I don’t get it, who’s that? You and Ripsom? Well, she’s been dead for thirty fucking years but I guess anything is an improvement.”  
  
“Oh,” Eddie said, and he laughed, he blinked a few times, confused, “I thought…” He smiled awkwardly and looked up at the sky. “Nevermind then. Where were we going?”  
  
Richie felt like he was going to pass out. What was happening here? Surely Eddie could not possibly have feelings for him. Somehow, that seemed like too much to bear.  
  
“Uh,” Richie said, feeling so goddamn stupid, “I…”  
  
“I wonder who this was, then.” Eddie said. “I could never say it, back then.”  
  
“W-why not?”  
  
“Why not? Why do you think? Save for the fact you were also a little asshole. And it was better to have you as a friend then not at all.” Eddie shrugged.  
  
And it seemed so easy for him to say. It should be easy for Richie to say! He was the one caught in the deadlights, he should have a new lease on life. He should be opening his mouth and not giving a fuck.  
  
“How are you...able to say all that?” Richie asked.  
  
“Well, I almost died by a cosmic clown. So I don’t really give a shit anymore about anything. And I guess because I thought-  
  
“I wrote that.” Richie blurted. “I wrote that.”  
  
There was a silence. A breeze rustled by. Eddie smiled softly, his jacket still draped in his arms.  
  
“I carved that 27 years ago. On my way home from Ben’s hideout. You think you’re all losers? I’m disastrously alone, unhappy, dishonest, all because of something I can’t get over. Something so...stupid. I’m tired of it. Do you know how exhausting it is? Living like this? Watching other people be so open and proud? My friends in L.A. always asking me what the fuck I’m waiting for? Me begging them not to say anything? I’m tired, Eddie. I’m...gay. And...I loved you.” The last words were emotionless, to the point. Richie felt physically wiped. Maybe it was the clown fight.  
  
Eddie was silent.  
  
“I wish,” He said after a pause, “I wish you had told me that.”  
  
“Me too.” Richie said, but it came out like a whisper, getting caught in his throat on the way out.  
  
“I’m glad I can tell you now.” Richie said. “And that what I saw didn’t become true.”  
  
Eddie smiled again, and Richie was mystified by this sudden change in his friend. It was like Eddie had nothing to lose anymore. None of the losers did. But Richie was still caught between his new life and his old one, scared to be in, and scared to be out.  
  
“This is what you wanted to show me.” Eddie said.  
  
“Yes. But then you beat me to it, somehow.” Richie said, looking anywhere but Eddie’s eyes.  
  
“You were going to chicken out.”  
  
Richie snapped his head back to Eddie. “No I fucking wasn’t! I was summoning the courage, asshole! It wasn’t easy.”  
  
Eddie laughed. “Richie Trashmouth Tozier can’t shut the fuck up until he can, apparently.”  
  
“I’m just...I’m really confused right now.” Richie said.  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“You...liked me?”  
  
“I mean, yeah.” Eddie said. “I didn’t really know it, but I knew it, you know? I remember coming across this,” and Eddie kicked at the bridge, “And feeling this happiness. It was all unsaid in my mind, but still clear. I guess I didn’t know how to process it. Then I got older. Got married. And didn’t really think about it again, until I saw you last week. At dinner. And I thought, ‘oh yeah, there’s that fucking guy, and oh, yeah, I kind of fucking loved him.’”  
  
“You have to be shitting me.” Richie said.  
  
“No.” Eddie said, shaking his head. “I’m not.”  
  
“Oh god.” Richie choked, falling to his knees. “I’m still in the deadlights.”  
  
Eddie laughed, louder than he had laughed this whole time.  
  
“Richie. I promise you you’re not in the deadlights. I made sure of that.” Eddie knelt down to sit beside him.  
  
“I just don’t know what to say then.” Richie sniffed. “Because I,” Richie paused, his voice shaking, a cry coming back, “I still love you.”  
  
Richie didn’t want to be afraid anymore, he looked at Eddie.  
  
Eddie embraced him in another hug. His jacket falling out of his hands.  
  
“Good.” Eddie said. “Because I think I still love you too.”  
  
Richie couldn’t help it, he started sobbing uncontrollably again. But this time, Eddie was crying too.  
  
“Thank you for saving me.” Richie whispered.  
  
“It sounds like you saved me too.” Eddie said softly, taking Richie’s face in his hands.  
  
Richie felt his stomach flip, he scanned Eddie’s dark eyes, warm and safe. Eddie leaned in to close the gap, kissing Richie softly. Richie instinctively grabbed on to the back of Eddie’s head, gripping his hair in his hand. It was the best kiss Richie ever had, one only imagined in his wildest dreams. But it was real.  
  
They pulled away.  
  
“Ohhhh noooo.” Eddie whined.  
  
“What? What?” Richie said, concerned.  
  
“We jumped in the lake and then kissed, do you know the kind of horrifying illnesses that could be fucking borne from that?” Eddie cried, waving his hand around like a maniac.  
  
“Holy fuck Eddie.”  
  
“I’m serious.”  
  
“And stupid.” Richie grinned. “I promise you won’t get a horrible bacterial infection okay?”  
  
“I think that’s up to God, actually.” Eddie said.  
  
Richie smiled again. This anxious, nervous, mess of a person was his. He wouldn’t want it any other way.  
  
“Well if we’re already fucked,” Eddie said, “Then I guess it doesn’t matter.”  
  
Eddie grabbed Richie’s face again and pulled him close into another kiss. It occurred to Eddie that this is who he should have been kissing for the past 27 years. But that was okay, they could make up the lost time.  
  
Richie felt tears welling in his eyes again, and he realized he was shaking.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Eddie asked.  
  
“Oh you know, just, clown trauma.” Richie muttered. “We did almost die. And now you’re kissing me. Which also might have something to do with it.”  
  
Richie turned to look, and noticed the rest of the Losers had appeared at the end of the bridge. Richie felt his face grow hot, but cool when he noticed they were smiling. But it was Bev who had her knowing smile on, like she knew all along.  
  
“Hey,” Ben said as they walked over, “We should all make sure to keep in touch.”  
  
“Of course.” said Bill. “Let’s not be 70 when we see each other again.”  
  
“Maybe you can all come visit me in Florida,” said Mike.  
  
“What? You’re leaving Derry?” Bill asked. But Richie already knew.  
  
“Yeah, I think it’s time.” Mike smiled.  
  
“Good for you.” Bev said. “Seems like we’re all leaving things behind.” And she placed her arm around Ben.  
  
“I guess I have a movie to finish,” Bill said, “Eddie. Are you...staying in New York?”  
  
“No,” Eddie said, “I think I’ll...go to L.A.”  
  
“Great, just let me know when you get there,I’ll take you guys around set.”  
  
“Uh,” Eddie smiled sheepishly, “Yeah. Thanks Bill.”  
  
“You’re really going to move to L.A.?” Richie asked.  
  
Eddie took his hand. “Yeah. I’d really like to. I’m kind of tired being a fucking risk analyst anyway. Cause you were right. It does fucking suck.”  
  
The Losers all laughed, with a new freedom that they could leave behind anything that didn’t make them happy. That dark cloud was gone, and the fog that they could hardly describe for the last thirty years was gone too. Everything felt clear.  
  
Richie hadn’t wanted to come back to Derry. He hadn’t even remembered much, except that he was afraid. But he came back anyway, because of his friends. Because of Eddie. And it had seemed futile, and scary, but they had done the impossible. They had been brave. Richie was going to spend the rest of his life being brave, and happy.  
  
And proud.  
  
“Hey,” Eddie piped up, “Maybe now that we’ve been through this you can write your own fucking jokes.”  
  
The Losers broke out laughing.  
  
“What the fuck did you just say!?” Richie cried.  
  
“Yeah, I think you could handle it.” Eddie said, dodging Richie’s arms. Eddie ran across the bridge, Richie in hot pursuit.  
  
“Do we ever really change?” Bill asked the rest of the Losers.  
  
“Yes.” Bev said. “But not where we don’t have to.”  
  
“I’m going to fucking kill you man!” Richie yelled. “If you weren’t so small and quick!”  
  
“Right.” Eddie called. “I’d like to see it!”  
  
Richie caught Eddie in his arms, bear hugging him from behind. He lifted him off the ground.  
  
“Hey!” Eddie yelled. “That’s fucking cheating!”  
  
“No it’s not.” Richie huffed, carrying Eddie back on to the bridge.  
  
“Okay Rich, put him down.” Bev laughed. “You’re going to give him an asthma attack.”  
  
“Y-yeah. I can feel one coming on right now.” Eddie stammered.  
  
“Bullshit!” Richie laughed, dropping Eddie to his feet.  
  
They all walked back to the hotel together, laughing, talking about all sorts of things. And Stan. Stan would be happy. But they couldn’t help but feel like they could have protected him.  
As they approached their cars, Richie jabbed Ben in the side.  
  
“Hey, if things don’t work with,” And he gestured to Bev and Eddie, “Call me.”  
  
Bev rolled her eyes, and Eddie looked offended, rolling his eyes too and giving Richie the finger.  
  
Ben laughed. “Sure Richie. You’ll be the_ first_ person I call. Promise.”  
  
“Great.” Richie grinned, looking into Eddie’s angry, playful eyes.  
  
“Well, I guess this is it.” Bill said. “See you Losers around.”  
  
“Yeah, our Facebooks will be lit.” Richie said. “Oh shit! We should have taken pictures. Let’s go back.”  
  
The Losers groaned, and while it didn’t feel good to be back in Derry per se, it felt good to be together. Their friendship was the best part about growing up in Derry. The only good thing in a town built on horror. Maybe Pennywise had been a force of evil, but, they thought, there had to be a force of good too. A force that brought them together. And they knew now, that they would never be apart.  
  
Richie glanced at Eddie, a quick stolen look, he knew he wouldn’t have too many of those left, now that they were finally together. But that was just how he wanted it. They got in their separate cars, knowing they wouldn’t have to be apart for long.  
  
Richie couldn’t wait. It all made sense now.


End file.
